Woman shares genius no scrub hack for cleaning oven while you sleep
Cleaning the oven has to be up there at the top of the list of jobs we hate doing, particularly after a busy few weeks cooking all the festive treats.
Which is why we are so grateful that one woman has revealed her no-scrub hack for helping to rid your cooker of stubborn grease while you sleep.
Sharing her clever trick, TikTok user @mama_mila_ revealed she uses a mixture of baking soda, washing up liquid and water to get the appliance sparkling.
Watch: Cleaning expert, Aggie Mackenzie, gives a demo on steam cleaning
“To clean your oven while you sleep, you’ll need 1/2 cup of baking soda, one tablespoon of dish soap and water,” she explains in the demonstration clip.
“Combine these three ingredients until you have a ‘smooth paste’ that is easy to spread.”
She then suggests applying a thin layer to your oven before leaving it to work its magic while you snooze.
When you wake up, all you’ll need to do is use a cloth to wipe down the oven, making sure to remove any residue left by the paste.
Read more: Woman's hack to dispose of hot grease without pouring it down the drain goes viral
The TikTok user also recommends spraying the oven with white vinegar afterwards to remove any remaining paste or grease.
Unsurprisingly users of the video sharing platform were quick to offer their thanks for the simple hack which could prevent them spending hours scrubbing.
“Just tried it and it works a treat. Thank you,” one user wrote.
“That’s awesome I’m going to try it,” another commented.
But one person had a little less luck after trying the hack.
“I literally did this today and it didn’t work! I maaaaaay have gone too long without cleaning it,” the user wrote, to which @mama_mila_ replied suggesting it might be worth giving it another go.
“Try leaving the mixture on for longer, or you may need to repeat it if there is a lot of built-up grease,” she wrote.
Read more: Genius TikTok hack to clean stained plastic tupperware
The TikTok-er explained that the trick works because the alkaline baking soda helps to break down the grime in the oven while the washing up liquid helps to soften built up grease.
Yahoo! Uk spoke to cleaning experts who agreed that the hack could offer a non-toxic solution for oven cleaning.
“Baking soda is the number one non-toxic ingredient for home oven cleaning solutions, but adding dish soap is a great idea as dish soap is a strong de-greaser,” explains Baqir Khan, owner of Proactive Cleaners.
“This cleaning hack should be good for most ovens and oven racks but tougher stains might need more work.
“If you clean your oven very rarely, it’ll take more effort with natural products or you might want to buy specialist products.”
Watch: Aggie Mackenzie gives her top tips on cleaning your toilet.
Khan adds that natural products need more time to work than specialist chemicals, so you may need to leave them on for longer to remove tough stains.
An AO.com spokesperson agreed that making your own oven cleaner can save time and money.
“You can use a mixture of baking soda and white vinegar, which provides an effective natural solution to cleaning your oven and eliminating build ups of grease,” they explains.
“Simply place a warm, damp cloth over the grease to loosen it up slightly, then rub the paste over the top and leave it to sit.
“Wipe it clean with a dishcloth to start, then dip your cloth into hot water and wipe away the remaining residue – this should leave your oven sparkling.
“If you want the oven to smell as fresh as possible, adding a touch of lemon juice to the mixture will do the trick,” the spokesperson adds.
Read more: Disgusting or genius? Mum’s hack for cleaning her toilet brush divides the Internet
Ligia Lugo founder of The Daring Kitchen says this particular oven cleaning method has a few great advantages in that it is simple, uses ingredients that you may already have and replaces the conventional cleaning products that can leave residual vapours in your oven.
“Baking soda is a natural alkali and works to lift the stubborn grease and stains inside the oven so you can easily wipe them off without too much elbow grease afterward,” she explains.
She has provided some more simple oven cleaning tips to help make the job that bit easier.
“When cleaning the oven remove the racks and soak them in dishwashing liquid for a few hours, scrub and rinse,” she suggests.
If the racks need deep cleaning, you can apply the baking soda and washing up liquid paste, but only on stainless steel racks because baking soda can discolour aluminium.
Lugo also suggests using an old toothbrush to apply the paste to any corners and tight spots.
According to the kitchen expert we should help keep our ovens grime-free by cleaning them regularly.
“Depending on your use, make a habit of cleaning it from once a month to once every few months to preserve it and extend its lifespan,” she says.
“You can also avoid bad smells in your kitchen and meals if you take good care of the appliance.”
